Loading platform



. wil/fam H. Ramn INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY w .@EYA. il?.

- w. H. RAMBO LOADING PLATFORM Filed July 16, 1945 IOt. 5, 194.8.

Patented Oct. 5, 1948 l LGADING PLA'IFO'RNITv William Hl Rambo., Portland; Oreg; ApplieatonJ 16,. 1945;. Serial No; 605,354

roanne. (ci. zii- 12er The present invention 'relates' to loading. platforms and while it is notY necessarily limitedv thereto; it is particularly adaptable for use in connection with elevators.

More specifically the invention relates 'to a loading platform arrangement upon which aload may be placed in readiness to be transported to. anotherlocation by a carrier and which is operative for automatically transferringisuch load onto the carrier as the carrier is moved into apredetermined position adjacent the loading platform.

A further object of the present invention is to.

provide a new and novel loading platform 1ar`- rangement adapted for holding a load contained upon a suitable vehicle, the. loading platform being further adapted t-o be. tilted for causingtransfer of said vehicle onto said carrier.

A still further object of the present invention.U

is to. provide a new and improved loading platform arrangement adapted for holding thereupon av load contained upon a suitable vehicle, the platform being adapted to be tilted in responseto the. movement of a carrier to a predetermined position adjacent thereto for. effecting transfer ofthe load containing vehicle from the platform; onto' the' carrier, the platform being automatically'reastored to normal position upon movement. of the` carrier away from the platform.

Further objects and'. advantages of the invention will appear'irom the :following` description takenl in connection with the. accompanying drawing while thefeatures cfnovelty characterizing the invention will be pointed out withigreater particularity in theappended claims,

In thel drawings Fig; 1 is av longitudinal. sectionaly elevation through. an elevator and loading' platform arrangement therefor constructed in;

accordance with one forint-of the present'invenjtionr and taken along the line l--I` of. Fig.. 2;:

Fig. 2' is a. cross-sectional view'taken along the.

line 2--2 of. Fig. 1; andFi'g. 3 is an enlargedffseetionalY View illustrating certain details. of the.

invention;

The loading platform. arrangement. ofthe-.present .invention will be described. as it: nay be.' adapted for automatically'transferring;loads.onto2 anl elevator. It will readily be understood by those skilled `in the art thatthe inventionl isinot4 to be :necessarily so limited in` that itisfequ'ally applicable for effecting transfer 'of` loads; onto other forms of load carriers.

The elevator in this instanceiis .shownasfcomprising a' platform or floor. H)l arrangedfor vertical movement kwithinfthe.parallel-.upright guides.V

' supported as at, 2i at its end remote from the Il arranged. atv the four corners thereof. YThe eleva-tor platform may be raised and loweredby anyv suitable means lsuch asthe cables i2 connected to the hoist drums i3- and whichl mayv in turnbe controlledbyvthe driving motor |14.V The elevator platform. Ill shown .inits lowermost. pos tion is. adapted to be Supported uponV bumper blocks I-'5. The lelevator in this instance' is designedL particularly for raising loadsto an elevated. level from which the loads are removed, but since the-unloading meansforms no partof the.. present invention,V such= ldetails have been omitted fromv the drawing for purposes ofY greater clarity. As. shown in the drawing, the platform il) of. the elevator is providediwith': af pairof parait lei. spaced apart tracks i6 upon which a vehicle containingr a load is to. be carried though it will be understood. that. such tracksare not essential.

Mounted adjacentl the elevator is ya loading platformA indi-cated at 2.0. and. which isl hingedly elevator` The endecf the platform arljacentzthe elevator Vis adapted toloev supported by aA collapsible.V bracket means which `is illustratedV morel clearly in the'enlargedsdetailview offF'ig.. 3. The bracket means-'comprises a pair of: hinged toggle links: 2-*2- and 23] whiclrareconnectedat one end as at Z4 tothe underneath side of thefloading platform .framework while the lower end thereof is. pivotedly` mountedA inl a. suitable bearingl support ZSmeStingupon-.the foundation therebeneath; Inv thestraightened` condition of the toggle links 22 and 23- asl shown irr Figi the-forward end of 1 the loading'platform 20- is: retained in an upper position-'such thatthe topl of the loadingplatform is substantially horizontal, the.- horizontal. position being'. indicated: by dotted lines 26. inFig.' l; In.thestraightened-conditionthetwolinksfextend in a. slightly over'center. condition, the connection between the twoflinkseresting. against a suitable backing support-21.

Attached tothe .lowermosttogglezlink 23- is an operatingl lever: arm` 2B" which'. .extends angularly outwardly into the path of travel. of operating. means 29V thereforl attachedzto the elevator plat-V form lil.v Theoperating means 29 includes` a trip plates Il whichris: adapted to engage theoutermostf endoffthey lever 28` asthey platform Hlof theelevator moves. past the adj acentedge-of the/loading platforml Zfsupported: in the horizontal position. Upon slight: continued, downward 'infn/ementA of thefelevatonthe lever 28Ais rockedfabout thezpivot 25 thatthe toggle links=2f2, `Haare?V carried past. thezoveroenterpositicn@ whereupon they willi coi@ lapse :and 'drop the;` corresponding.. 12ndjof: the

loading platform 20 to the tilted position shown in full line in Fig. 1.- The forward end of the loading platform 2li is supported in its lowermost or tilted position upon wooden bumper blocks indicated at 30 mounted upon the foundation. In this position, the end of the loading platform is even with the top of the elevator floor when the elevator is resting upon the bumper blocks I5.

The loading platform 20, in this instance, is also provided with a pair of parallel spaced apart tracks 32 for supporting load carrying vehicles such as indicated by dotted lines 33. It will be obvious that with the loading platform supported in the horizontal position a loaded vehicle, such as 33, may be rolled out thereupon at such time as it may be convenient, for example, while the elevator platform l0 is in an uppermost position and being unloaded. For preventing rolling of the loaded vehicle from the end of the loading platform 2|! an automatic stop is provided consisting of a pivoted lever 35 one end of which is connected by a link 36 to a bracket 31 flXedly attached to the foundation. The opposite end of the lever 35 is provided with a stop 38. In the raised position of the loading platform 2D the lever 35 is caused to rotate about its pivot in the clockwise direction and the stop 38 projected into the path of travel of the foremost wheel of the load supporting vehicle 33 thereby arresting continued forward movement thereof. As the toggle link supporting bracket for the forward end of the loading platform 2B is collapsed and the loading platform 2n dropped to its tilted position the lever 35 is rotated to the out-of-way position shown in full line in Fig. l whereupon the loaded vehicle 33 is permitted to roll by gravity down the inclined tracks 32 onto the tracks I6 on the elevator carriage. A suitable bumper means indicated at 40 may be provided on the opposite end of the elevator platform to arrest the movement of the vehicle thereupon.

With the loaded vehicle thus transferred onto the elevator platform the elevator may thereupon be raised to a desired upper level and whereupon the loading platform 2|lwill automatically be restored to its normal horizontal position. With further reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that upon collapsing movement of the toggle links 22, 23 past the overcenter position, the operating lever 28 is swung downwardly into engagement with the sloping plate 42 mounted beneath the tripping member 3|. Upon upward movement of the elevator carriage I0 the plate 42 will carry the outer end of the operating lever 28 upwardly to a position just slightly past the overcenter position whereupon it will move a slightly distance further until the hinge connection between the toggle links 22, 23 come to rest against the backing support 21. In this position, the outermost end of the lever arm 28 will be clear of the lowermost end of the sloping resetting plate 42 so that it may readily move upwardly therepast and also so that in the subsequent downward movement of the elevator the lever arm 28 will not be engaged by the plate 42 until after the lever is tripped by the plate 3|. The plates 3| and 42 may be mounted in any suitable manner upon the elevator platform I0. As shown in the drawings these plates 3| and 42 are rigildly secured between a pair of spaced apart plates 44 and which are secured at their upper ends to the underneath side of the elevator platform |14) on its end next adjacent the loading platform. It will furthermore be understood that two such toggle linksupporting bracket 'means will ordinarily be provided for the loading platform 20, one adjacent each of the opposite sides thereof. It will also be obvious that while the collapsible supporting means is shown in this instance as comprising an overcenter toggle linkage any other suitable supporting means is represented thereby which is adapted for supporting the loading platform ln a horizontal position for having a loaded vehicle moved thereupon and for dropping the end of the loading platform to a cooperatively adjacent position.

It will also be obvious that while the invention has been described with particular regard for eifecting loading of the elevator in its lowermost position the loading platform arrangement may be readily adapted for effecting automatic loading of the elevator at any point in its travel or at its uppermost position.

Having described the invention in what is considered to be a preferred embodiment thereof it is desired that it be understood that the specific details shown are merely illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim is:

l. In an elevator loading apparatus, the combination comprising an elevator having a iioor including a pair of spaced apart vehicle tracks thereupon, a loading platform provided adjacent said elevator including a pair of spaced apart vehicle tracks thereupon, said loading platform being pivotally mounted at the end remote from said elevator, a collapsible bracket. means connected to the end of said loading platform adjacent said elevator, said bracket means in the operative position supporting said loading. platform in a substantially horizontal position, said bracket means in the collapsed condition permitting downward movement of the end of said loading platform adjacent said elevator to a lower limit position, an operating lever operatively connected to said bracket means, means secured to said elevator in one direction for causing collapse of said bracket means, means for arresting movement of said elevator in said one direction in a position corresponding with the lowered position of said loading platform whereby a vehicle supported on the tracks of said loading platform is permitted to roll therefrom onto said tracks on said elevator, and means on said elevator operatively engaging with said lever upon movement of said elevator in the opposite direction for restoring said bracket means to the operative position and said loading platform to the horizontal condition.

2. In an elevator loading apparatus the combination comprising an elevator, a loading platform mounted adjacent said elevator, said loading platform being hingedly mounted at its end remote from said elevator, a collapsible support for supporting the end of said loading platform adjacent said elevator in an upward substantially horizontal position, a firm foundation for one end of said support whereby said support in the extended condition thereof rigidly supports said loading platform in said substantially horizontal position, and means on said elevator operative upon movement of said elevator 4downwardly past said loading platform for engaging and effecting collapse of said collapsible support and tilting of said loading'platform whereby vehicles positioned on said loading platform are caused to roll by gravity therefrom onto said elevator.

3. In an elevator loading apparatus the combination comprising an elevator including a floor, a' loading platform rockably mounted adjacent said elevator, collapsible bracketmeans for restraining said loading platform in a substantially horizontal position, a firm foundation for one end of said bracket means whereby said bracket means in the extended condition thereof rigidly supports said loading platform in said substantially horizontal position, and means responsive to movement of said elevator floor past said loading platform for engaging and causing release of said bracket restraining means whereby said platform is permitted to rock downwardly toward said oor causing vehicles positioned on said platform to roll therefrom onto said elevator.

4. In an elevator loading apparatus the combination comprising an elevator including a floor, a loading platform mounted adjacent the path of travel of said iioor, means pivotally supporting said platform for tilting movement between a substantially horizontal position and a position sloping downwardly toward said floor, toggle linkage means for supporting said loading platform in said horizontal position, means responsive to movement of said elevator floor in one direction past said loading platform for engaging and tripping said supporting toggle linkage and causing tilting of sai-d loading platform, and means responsive to movement of said oor in the opposite direction for restoring said toggle linkage to normal position for supporting said loading platform in said horizontal position.

5. An elevator loading appartus comprising the l combination of a load receiver, a load holder mounted cooperatively adjacent the path of trave1 of said receiver, means normally supporting said load holder in a substantially horizontal position, means responsive to movement of said load receiver in one direction to a predetermined pOsibination comprising an elevator including a load receiver, a load holder pivotally mounted adjacent the path of travel of said load receiver, means for releasably supporting said load holder in a operatively engaging and restoring said togglelinkage to the straightened condition for supporting said load holder in the horizontal position.

l 7. A loading platform arrangement comprising the combination of a platform adapted for holding a wheeled vehicle, means mounting said loading platform for` rocking movement in the longitudinal direction, supporting means operatively connected to said platform for normally holding said platform in a substantially horizontal position, a pivoted lever on said platform for limiting forward movement of a wheeled vehicle thereupon, a carrier, actuating means on said carrier for engaging said supporting means as said carrier is moved adjacent said platform, said actuating means causing release `of said supporting means tor permit forward tilting of said loading platform, a link connected between said lever and a fixed support for automatically shifting said lever to an inoperative position upon tilting of said platform, said actuating means including means for restoring said supporting means to the normal horizontal position of said platform upon movement ofsaid carrier away from said platform, said lever being automatically shifted to an operative position upon movement of said platform to said normal horizontal position.

WILLIAM H. RAMBO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Towers Nov. 25, 1902 Holmes June 2, 1908 Baker Apr. 12, 1910 Number Number 

